>\ Project Intro

The internet is not a safe space.

My rationale for this project comes from my own experiences being bullied growing up. Not only do I have a strange surname — Smellie — but I was a short and skinny nerd, too meek to fight back.

Like many others, I sought comfort through the freedom and anonymity of the internet, a safe space where I could talk with other people about the things I liked without them knowing who I was. It was great!

But the internet is not friendly. It is not a safe space. The same freedom and anonymity that allows us to find like-minded communities also allows for all kinds of toxicity and elitism to present itself. People will get into arguments about their favourite band or video game, potentially escalating into racist remarks and death threats.

>\ What is cyberbullying?

Which under the Harmful Digital Communications Act are all illegal.

In New Zealand, cyberbullying is defined as harassment using electronic communication such as text messaging, emails, and posts on online platforms.

It involves things like name calling, repeatedly sending unwanted messages, or posting embarrassing content of a person without their permission. And, like any other form of harassment, it is a crime.

1 in 3 New Zealand teens experience cyberbullying everyday

It is reasonable to expect that, as social media rises in usage across New Zealand, particularly amongst the younger generations, people will see, hear about, or otherwise experience cyberbullying at some point whilst engaging online.

A global survey performed by Vodafone in 2015 found that 1 in 3 New Zealand teens experience cyberbullying everyday, with more than 50% of them believing that cyberbullying is worse than face-to-face bullying due to the lack of accountability and anonymity presented through social media.

>\ Project summary

Distilling the worst parts of social media

Dark Messages looks to grow awareness of this problem to people who may not be aware of the effect toxic messages may have on others, or who may not even be aware that people get sent harassing direct messages at all.

As well as to legitimise the emotions of receivers — that their emotions and reactions to harassment is valid and that it is not on them to “just toughen up bro” or otherwise take accountability for the words and actions of another.

Finally, this project endeavours to encourage self-reflection and an increased sense of empathy within the persecutors — that what they’re doing is harmful to other people and to encourage them to reflect inwards on why they act out as they do.

>\ Project outcome

Dark Messages is a website designed to bombard you with the kinds of messages you might find on social media in a way that is immediately recognisable as a text message or online post — a speech bubble.

Whilst there is information out there to help you gain support from services such as NetSafe and Youthline, you have to navigate through this minefield of victim blaming, gaslighting, and general attacks on your person to ever get close to them.

Imagine you decide you're looking nice enough to post a selfie on Instagram...

You're feeling excited and happy and good about yourself, and then 5 minutes later, someone you don't even know, sends you a message saying “You’re an ugly fuck, why were you ever born?”

That hurts. That hurts for a long time.

For people like myself, who suffer from general anxiety, that kind of stuff puts you in a mind space that makes it hard to deal with in the moment. You’re not thinking about reporting the incident and getting help a few days from now cause the problem is here now. All the rationale and coping methods you can muster are still a maze within your head that you have to navigate.

Whilst I thought it was important to provide support links alongside the core experience, what I really hope is that this website can impart some of what it feels like to be in that mind space for the people who are simply unaware of the impact a seemingly simple message can truly have on someone.

In the future, I hope to expand upon this project through an investigative piece on the journey through the mind of those who experience cyberbullying everyday and what it means to them.

Click here to view the Dark Messages interactive experience for yourself.